Best War Movie Ever?

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2002)

Great cast, staging, and photography. This is a no bs great war movie. It doesn't have a corny love story (ie "Midway") or some other odd story (the intelligence officer in "Battle of the Bulge" who no one will listen to) to help it hang together. This is just a series of stories, that when put together, tell the story of the invasion of Normandy. The staging is amazing. There is one shot of street fighting that is fantastic. This opening shot must have been shot from a helicopter but it is very smooth, as smooth as a crane shot. This shot just goes on and on as the street battle begins. It follows a large number of men as they run up various streets, overcome opposition and finally get stopped by a heavily armed German position. This movie doesn't have the special effects or sound engineering of "Private Ryan" but it is a much better overall view of the battle.